SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

The garden still has life in it, despite being deserted for most of the week - in 90 degree weather, no less! I have two things going for me here. First of all, it appears that the raised beds, with those nice thick stone walls, retain moisture better than your average bed, though they still drain well. Second, our house and the hill behind it cast a nice little shadow over the entire Cantina Garden each afternoon, protecting it from the worst of the scorching sun. You'd think I planned it that way, but no, just a lucky fluke.

So, here's the good news/bad news run down. On the plus side, my tomatoes have almost reached the tops of their cages, with no signs of horn worms (yet), and with plenty of fruit on them. (Last year it started hitting in the 90's before they had a chance to set anything!) My crazy, squiggly plant stakes arrived in the nick of time, and now have pole beans wrapped around them (wonder if they could support a cucumber vine?) and the bush beans are flowering. On the downside, topsy turvy strawberry planters aren't meant to go 4 or 5 days without water, and new baby peach trees should probably be protected with chicken wire. It would appear that certain 4-legged, doe-eyed rascals have chewed off every single leaf on the lower half of our tree, and the limbs are lookin' a bit stubby down there too.

Oh yeah, one more good thing! Our agarita shrubs are covered in berries, and they are beginning to ripen. I tasted one for the fun of it, and it reminded me of a pomegranate seed. Anyone who's willing to brave all those pointy leaves can come pick all they want. I hear they make a good jelly. The persimmon tree is fruiting as well. Should be a bumper crop!